Plier structure



April 30, 1946 J. H. MELCHERS PLIER STRUCTURE Filed Dec. 20, 1943 it w 3'. H. Me Lcher-s a Train/z) Invenicr:

Patented Apr. 30, 1946 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE PLIER STRUCTURE John H. Melchcrs, Minneapolis, Minn.

Application December 20, 1943, Serial No. 514,926

1 Claim.

This invention relates to a tool such as a plier or pair of pincers, and particularly to such a tool having jaws with opposed faces, which laws are moved rectilinearly toward and from each other. In gripping and handling many articles and objects by means of a plier it is more convenient to have the jaws moved toward each other in a straight line rather than in a curved line.

It is an object of this invention to provide a simple and eflicient structure of plier having jaws with opposed faces, which jaws are movable rectilinearly toward and from each other.

It is a further object of the invention to provide a plier having a jaw member which is movable in guideways formed in another member of said pliers so that said jaw member is guided rectilinearly. 7

It is another object of the invention to provide a plier comprising members pivoted together and having portions constituting the handles of said plier, one of said members having one or more guideways formed therein and extending transversely thereof and having a jaw formed thereon together with a jaw member having portions movable in said guideways and having a jaw thereon aligned with said first mentioned jaw, said jaw member being connected to the other of said members whereby when said handle portions are moved toward and from each other said jaws will move toward and from each other parallel to said guideways.

It is more specifically an object of the invention to provide a plier construction comprising a member having achannel shaped portion and forming one handle of said plier, said member having projecting slightly spaced plate portions, a second substantially straight member having a jaw at one end and an end portion forming the other handle of said plier, said second member also having a flat portion adjacent said jaw disposed between said plate portions, said fiat portion having one or more rectilinear guideways formed therein and extending transversely thereof, a pivot connecting said members, a jaw member having a jaw aligned with said first mentioned jaw and having one or more laterally projectlng. portions fitting in and slidable in said guideways together with a connection between said first mentioned member and said jaw member whereby when said first mentioned member and second member are'moved toward and from each other said jaws will be moved toward and from each other parallel to said guideways.

These and other objects and advantages of the invention will be fully set forth in the following description made in connection with the accompanying drawing in which like reference characters refer to similar parts throughout the several views and in which- Fig. 1 is a view in side elevation of the plier embodying the present invention;

Fig. 2 is a View in vertical section taken substantially on line 2-2 of Fig. 4 as indicated by the arrow;

Fig. 3 is a view similar to Fig. 1 showing the plier in open position, a portion being broken away;

Fig. 4 is a partial view in front elevation as seen from the left of Fig. 3;

Fig. 5 is a horizontal section taken on line 5-5 of Fig. 3 as indicated by the arrows;

Fig. 6 is a view in side elevation showing a modification, some parts being broken away; and

Fig. 7 is a horizontal section taken on line l': of Fig. 6, as indicated by the arrow.

Referring to the drawing, a plier construction is shown comprising a member ID. While this member could be variously formed, in the embodiment of the invention illustrated it is in the form of a channel having side portions I00 and a connecting web portion I01). Said web portion lflb is cut away or omitted adjacent one end of member Hi so that the side portions Illa project as fiat parallel plate portions lllc at one end of said member. Member Ill as shown in Fig. 1, is of curved form in side elevation and tapers toward its free end. Another member l l is provided in the shape of a bar, the same being connected to member I 0 by means of a pivot l2 which may be of any convenient form and is illustrated as in the form of a headed rivet. Member H from pivot l2 curves somewhat away from member l0 and then is reversely curved toward member I 0, the same tapering somewhat toward its free end. Member II is of a thickness to fit between the sides Illa of member l0 and the curved portions of members It) and II at one side of pivot l2 constitute the handle portions of said plier. Member H has a fiat portion I la beyond and adjacent pivot l2 and has its terminal end formed as a jaw Ilb having a face I I0. Portion I la has formed therein a plurality of guideways lld. As shown in Fig. 4, there are two spaced guideways at one side of member I! and one at the other and they are of trapezoidal or dove-tailed shape in cross section. A jaw member I3 is provided having a jaw portion l 3a thereon which is aligned with jaw portion I la and has a face I311. Jaw member l3 has spaced portions ltc projecting laterally therefrom and shaped to fit in and be slidable in the guideways I Id. Portions We are thus also of trapezoidal or dovetailed shape in cross section. The tops of portions i3c are fiush with the outside surfaces of portion ii a. A connection is provided between member i and member i3 and while this might take various forms, in the embodiment of the invention illustrated it comprises a pin i4 disposed in member i3 and projecting from each side thereof into slots iiid formed in the plate portions lilc.

With the described construction it will be seen that when the curved portions of members i0 and ii are moved toward or from each other about pivot i 2, that jaw member i3 will be caused to move toward or from member i i due to the sides of slot ilid acting upon pin E4. The portions i3c slide in the guideways iid and the jaws iib and i3a thus move toward and from each other parallel to guideways iid. Since guideways lid extend transversely of member ii and are rectilinear, the jaws iib and [3a and their faces iic and i3b move toward and from each other rectilinearly. An article or object having fiat sides or parallel fiat sides can thus be conveniently gripped between the outer ends of jaws i lb and i3a.

In Fig. 6 a modified form of the invention is shown comprising a member 20 of channel shape, the same having projecting parallel plate portions 28a at one end. The channel shaped end portion of member 20 constitutes one handle of the plier. Another member 2i is provided in the form of a straight bar, the same having a jaw 2ia formed on one end thereof, which jaw extends generally at an angle to the longitudinal center line of member 2i and has a face 2ib also extending at an angle to said. center line. Member 2i has a flat portion Zic adjacent jaw Zia which is of a thickness to fit snugly between the plate portions 20a. The end portion of member 2i beyond portion 2ic constitutes the other handle of the plier. Members 20 and 2i are connected adjacent portion Zic by a pivot member '22 preferably in the form of a headed rivet. A resilient plate spring 23 has one end secured in a slot Zid formed in one edge of member 2i, said spring extending between the sides of member 20 and having its other end engaging the web portion 20b of member 20. Portion 2ic has spaced guideways 2 is formed therein at each side thereof, which guideways are rectilinear and extend transversely of member 2i substantially at right angles to its longitudinal center line. A jaw member 24 is provided, the same having a jaw 24a formed thereon with a face 241), which face extends substantially parallel to face Zlb. Member 24 has laterally projecting portions 240 spaced and shaped to fit in the guideways 2ie. Portions 26c and guideways 2ie are preferably of trapezoidal or dove-tailed shape in cross section. The outer sides of portions 240 are flush with the sides of portion Zic and thus fit between plates 20a. A connection is provided between member 20 and member 24 and while this could take various forms, in the embodiment of the invention illustrated it comprises a pin 25 secured to member 24 and projecting from each side thereof, the projecting portions being dispin 25. The movement of jaw 24a toward jaw 2ia will be parallel to the guideways He and thus rectilinear. When the handle portions of members 20 and 2i are moved toward each other spring 23 is placed under tension and when pressure is released from said handles said spring will move said handles away from each other. Member 2i is of course, of a thickness to move into the channel of member 20.

From-the above description it will be seen that I have provided a very simple and very eflicient construction of plier in which the jaws move rectilinearly toward and from each other. The movement of the jaws is very accurate and any tendency for a twisting movement which might occur when pressure is placed on certain objects between the jaws is prevented by the dove-tailed shape of the portions moving in the guideways. These are portions i3c in Figs. 1 to 5, and portions 240 in Fig. 6. The handle members of the plier can be made of small thickness and yet the same are strong and rugged. The plier is easily operated and works with precision. Due to the spaced plate-like portions on one member and the fiat plate-like portion of the other member disposed between said portions and having the guideways therein a tool of small thickness can be produced. This is quite a desideratum. A neat and efiicient tool is thus provided. The device has been amply demonstrated in actual practice and found to be very successful and eificient.

It will of course, be understood that various changes may be made in the form, details, arrangement and proportions of the parts, without departing from the scope of applicants invention, which generally stated, consists in a device capable of carrying out the objects above set forth, in the parts and combinations of parts disclosed and defined in the appended claim.

What is claimed is:

A plier construction having in combination, a member having one end portion forming one handie of said plier and having spaced plate-like portions at its other end, a second member having an end portion forming the other handle of said plier and having a jaw at its other end and a flat bar-like portion integral with said jaw and intermediate said jaw and handle, said bar-like portion being disposed between said plate-like portions, a pivot member connecting said members so that they have only relative movement oscillating about the axis of said Divot, said bar-like portion having transverse rectilinear shallow guideways formed on both sides thereof, a jaw member having a jaw alined with and opposing said jaw and having spaced transversely extending projections fitting in and slidable in said guideways, said projections having their outer surfaces flush with the outer sides of said bar-like portion, said projections being disposed and movable between said plate-like portions, a pin in said jaw member located adjacent said projections and alined cam slots in said plate-like portions in which the ends of said pin are disposed, whereby when said handle portions are moved toward and from each other about said means, said jaws are moved toward and from each other in a direction parallel to said guideways.

- JOHN H. MELCHERS. 

